Feed plate for stapling machines



Feb. 3, 1953 w. o. STEARNS FEED PLATE FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed June 3, 1950 NVENTOR. 71/64 0 Jim 7244 Patented Feb. 3, 1953 FEED PLATE FOR STAPLING MACHINES v Wesley 0. S-tearns, Scotch Plains, N. J assignor to Wilson-Jones Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Massachusetts Application J une 3, 1950, Serial No. 166,011

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a feed plate for pushin staples along a staple support slide towards the exit chamber of a stapling machine under spring pressure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple feed plate structure of relatively few parts that may be easily assembled and will operate efliciently. It is a further object of the invention to provide greater security for the feed fingers so that they will not be displaced in the normal operation of the stapling machine. Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stapling machine with the body portion turned about its hinge to show the feed plate in its relationship to the stapling machine;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a staple support slide showing the feed plate embodying the invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary :bottom perspective view of the body portion of the stapling machine with parts broken away to show the feed plate;

Figure 4 is a detail bottom perspective view of the feed plate;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the feed plate;

Figure 6' is a side elevation of the feed plate; and

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the staple support slide in inverted position.

The stapling machine structure will not be specifically described except as it pertains to the present invention, because the feed plate may be applied to almost any conventional stapling machine. Although the invention may be utilized in connection with the construction of many other stapling machines, it will be described specifically in connection with the stapling machine disclosed in the application filed in the name of Herbert W. Marano on February 15, 1949, under Serial No. 76,497.

In the detailed description of the invention the stapling machine will be considered to be in normal stapling position with the body portion overlying the base portion except in the description of the loading and unloading operations, where a different position is described. Referring to the drawings, the stapling machine comprises a base portion 2 and a body portion 3 hinged to the base portion, as indicated at 3'. The bottom of body portion 3 is provided with a recess 4 defined by a pair of horizontal flanges 5 extending inwardly from side walls 6, side wall portions 7 depending below said flanges 5, and one end wall 8. The end wall 8 is adjacent the driver 9. The opposite end of the recess 4 is open, and a staple support slide I0 is inserted through said open end. The staple support slide is a channel shaped member having a top wall I l extending longitudinally of recess 4 and parallel to flanges 5. A pair of side walls [2 depending from top wall II are each bent outwardly and upwardly, as indicated at It, to form portions [4 extending parallel to side walls [2 and spaced outwardly thereof. The ends of portions l4 are bent outwardly to form horizontal flanges l5. Side wall portions I are each provided with longitudinally extending recesses l6. Flanges l5 are positioned in recesses It to hold the staple support slide in the desired horizontal plane with the top wall I l of the slide spaced a slight distance below flanges 5.

A latch I1 is pivotally secured to one end of the staple support slide I 0 in any suitable manner, and is provided at its opposite lateral edges with cars 18 which engage recesses [9 in body portion 3 to hold the staple support slide in predetermined longitudinal relationship to the body portion. The end ID of the staple support slide adiacent end wall 8 is spaced from the exit channel 9' under driver 9 a distance sufficient to allow staples 20 to be driven through the exit channel. The staples 20 are mounted on the staple support slide ID with their legs 2| straddling the side walls I2. The side walls I 2 are each provided with a longitudinal slot 22 which extends along a substantial portion of the length of the side Wall but stops a distance from each end. The legs 2| traverse the slots 22 and extend into the space between side wall portions 12 and I4.

The staples 20 are constantly urged toward the exit channel 9' by a feed plate 23, and as each staple is driven through the exit channel by driver 9 the line of staples is moved towards the end 8 until the next staple in the line is positioned in the exit channel.

The feed plate comprises a block 24 provided with an aperture 25 and is held in position inside the staple slide It] by means of a guide rod 26 which extends through the aperture 25. The ends of the guide rod are secured to the staple slide in any suitable manner. Each side of the block 24 is provided with a horizontal recess 27. The recesses 21 are aligned with the slots 22 when the block 24 is mounted in the staple support slide l0.

A pair of feed fingers 28 and 29 are pivotally mounted in the recesses 21 by means of pins 30. The feed fingers 28 and 29 are duplicates except that they are reversed. Each feed finger has the inner portion of its forward end bent upwardly, as indicated at 31 and 32, respectively. The feed fingers are so dimensioned, relative to the block 24, that the rear end of each finger projects angularly beyond the rear end of the block, as indicated at 33 and 34, when the outer edges of the fingers are confined within the area defined by the side walls l2 of the staple support slide. When the rear ends of the feed fingers are flush with the rear end of the block 24 the forward ends of the feed fingers project outwardly beyond .the longitudinal edges of the block.

A pressure plate 35 is mounted onthee'guide-ro'd 26 and is constantly urged againsttheirear ends of the feed fingers by a spring 36. The spring 36 may be secured in any suitable manner, but .is preferably positioned around the guide rod between the rear end of the staple support slide and the pressure plate 35. The pressure plate forces the block 24 forwardly relative to the staple support slide and moves the feed fingers outwardly around their pivots 36 .so'as to project the outer edges of the fingers through the elongated slots 22 into engagement with the legs 2| of the rearmost staple. The upwardly bent portions 3| and 32 of the feed fingers engage the inner surface of side walls I 2 to limit the outward pivotal movement of the feed fingers. The constant pressure against the rearmost staple moves the entire line of staples forwardly a distance equivalent to the thickness of an individual staple as the foremost staple is driven through the exit channel 9', and this forward movement is repeatedas each successive staple 20 is driven through the exit 'channel until all the staples are used.

When the machine is to be loaded, the body portion is turned about its -hinge3", as shown in Figure 1, and the machine is held vertically, with the forward end 8 of the body portion down, and a lineof staples is dropped into the-space between top wall ll of the staple support slide and the flanges 5. When the machine is empty .the spring 36 forces the feed plate 23 .towards the end wall 8 of the recess 4, and the foremost staple 'of the line of staples just inserted will engage the rear edges of the fingers 28 of the feed plate. The feed plate 23 is then'manually moved upwardly'against the action of .spring 36. The'upward movement of the feed plate normally moves the newlyinserted line of staples upwardly so that the .rear end of the line of staples would project 'outof the space between top wall II and flanges -be yond the upper endzof the body :portion 3. However, after "the staples have been inserted and before the feed plate is movedupwardly, the user places his thumb over the top end -of the body portion of the machineso as to cover the space between top wall H and flanges 5 and holds his thumb in this position while movin the feed plate upwardly. When the line of staples is moved upwardly by the-upward movementnf the feed plate the rear end of the line 'of-staples engages the users thumb and is thereby prevented from moving beyond the upper :end of :the body portion 3. Continued force against the feed plate tending to move it upwardly afterthe rear end of the line of staples engages the-users thumb forces the fingers 28 inwardly about their pivots 36 until the outer edges of the fingers are -confined between the legs 21 of the newly inserted staples. The feed plate is moved upwardly, with its fingers 28 moving between the legs 2| of the staples, until the fingers 28 pass the endsofrslots 2 2,at 22a, Figure-7. In this position thefingers 4 28 are held inwardly by the side walls 12 of the staple support slide, and the line of staples moves freely downwardly along the slide until the rearmost staple passes the ends of the slots. The feed plate is then released, and the spring 36 moves it downwardly until the fingers 28 pass the end of slot 22 and the pressure of spring 36 forces the fingers outwardly about their pivots 30 until the fingers are in their normal extended position. When the feed plate is released the pressure of spring 36 moves it forwardly until the fingers 28 engage .the.legs vof the rearmost staple to urge the line of staples forwardly towards the exit channel '9'. Although th staple support slide may be removed from the stapling machine and then reinserted with a line .of staples positioned therein, removal of the staple support slide is not necessary to load the machine.

The latch I! provides quick and easy access to the staples for the purpose of unloading the machine. When the latch is'moved pivotally todisengagethe ears l8 from-the recesses IS, the staple support slide i6 and the staples 20 may be removed practically instantaneously merely by holding the body portion 3 with the end 8 up, so that flanges l5 slide downwardly relative to recesses [6. The unloading operation is necessary only when the staples are accidentally distorted or the machine becomes jammed from improper usage.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerabledetail, it will Ice-understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather'than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without-departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact-structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A feed plate for stapling machines comprising a block having a recess in each of its longitudinal edges, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in each .of said recesses.

2. A feed plate for stapling machinescomprising a block having a recess in each of its longitudinal-edges, said recesses being in a common horizontal plane, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in each of said recesses, each of said feed fingers having a portion extending angularly out of the plane of said recesses.

3. In combination with a staple support slide having an elongated slot ineach longitudinal side wall, a guide rod secured in said staple support slide, and a feed plate slidably mounted on said guide rod, said feed .plate comprising a block having a recess in each longitudinal edge, said recesse being in the same horizontal plane as said slots, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in eachof said recesses.

4. In combination with a staple support slide having an'elongated slot in each longitudinalside wall, .a guide rod secured in said staple support slide, and a feed plate slidably mounted on said guide ro.d,.said feed plate comprising a block having .a recess in each longitudinal edge, said recesses being in the same horizontal plane as said slots, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in each of .said recesses, each of said feed finger having a portion-extending angularly out of the plane of said recesses.

5. In combination with a channel shaped staple support slide having horizontally aligned slots in its opposite side walls, a feedplate comprising a block slidably mounted in saidslide, saidblock having a longitudinally extending recess in each longitudinal edge, said recesses being aligned horizontally with said slots, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in each of said recesses, said feed fingers each having a portion engageable with one of said slots.

6. In combination with a channel shaped staple support slide having horizontally aligned slots in its opposite side walls, a feed plate comprising a block slidably mounted in said slide, said block having a longitudinally extending recess in each longitudinal edge, said recesses being aligned horizontally with said slots, and a feed finger pivotally mounted in each of said recesses, the rear ends of said fingers projecting beyond the rear 15 2,445,180

6 end of said block when the forward ends of said fingers are confined between the side walls of said slide, and a spring pressed plate engageable with the rear end of said block to force the forward 5 ends of said feed fingers through said slots.

WESLEY O. STEARNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Maynard July 13, 1948 Number 

